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Bourn forced to watch Astros series from dugout

4/14/13: Michael Bourn exits the game after injuring his hand on a headfirst slide and umpire Jim Joyce leaves after a collision at first

By Gene Duffey
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Special to MLB.com |

HOUSTON -- Indians center fielder Michael Bourn made it back home on Friday, but he will have to watch from the dugout as his team plays against his former club, the Houston Astros.

Bourn was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday, retroactive to Monday, with a lacerated right index finger.

"Now that's disappointing," he said. "You always want to be able to come home and play."

Bourn was born in Houston a little over 30 years ago, played in college at the University of Houston and spent most of four seasons with the Astros. He still lives in Houston in the offseason.

"This is home," he said. "Nothing's changing.

"I've got to sit it out [the series]. "Nothing I can do about it. Let the wound heal, then try to get back in the swing of things. I can't really do too much. It's my throwing hand and you hit with your bottom hand."

Bourn's finger was heavily wrapped.

"Just take it one day at a time," he said. "When it heals, I'll be back. I'm not positive when it's going to be."

Bourn was injured in the eighth inning of Monday's game, when Boston pitcher Matt Thornton accidentally stepped on his hand while Bourn was sliding into first base.

"I felt the pain, but I didn't know what was wrong with it," Bourn said. "I saw the blood leaking a little bit, I thought it might be kind of bad. But I'm all right. Luckily, it's not worse. That's better than it being broken."

Cleveland signed Bourn as a free agent in the offseason after the outfielder played the last season-and-a-half with Atlanta. How does he like Cleveland?

"It's cool," he said. "We've got a chance to be really good. I like the makeup of our team."

Sometimes Cleveland can be too cool for a baseball player.

"That's the only thing I have to get used to," Bourn said of playing near Lake Erie. "That cold weather is no joke. But I'm adjusting to it. I put it in my mind, I know it's going to be cold. I'll be fine. I played in Philadelphia. I just hadn't done it in a few years."

After only two weeks with the Indians, Bourn couldn't notice any difference between the American and National Leagues, except for the designated hitter.

"I haven't played a whole lot of games," he said. "It's a little more offensive than the National League because of the DH. But that's automatic. You've got good pitchers in both leagues. People think the National League is a fastball league, but they'll mix it up."

Despite being gone from Houston less than two years, there aren't many Astros left who are former teammates of Bourn.

"I know Bud [Norris] and Wesley [Wright]," he said. "There might be a few others."

Gene Duffey is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.